Italian Ricotta Raspberry Cake Recipe
A moist, delicate cake with ricotta and raspberries that’s like a cross between cheesecake and sponge cake. In Italy, simple cakes like this often appear on Sunday afternoons with coffee – they’re not overly sweet, so it’s easy to go back for a second slice. Perfect when you have ricotta in the fridge and don’t know what to do with it.
This is a typical “da credenza” cake from northern Italy – simple, based on cheese and fruit, baked in a single tin and served with coffee instead of heavy layer cakes.
This ricotta raspberry cake has a texture somewhere between a light cheesecake and a fluffy sponge, so it’s moist but not heavy. Its gentle sweetness and subtle citrus note make it taste like a typical Italian “dolce” for afternoon espresso – without excessive sugar or creams.
Why this version works
- Well‑whipped eggs replace part of the fat, so the cake is light but not dry.
- Thoroughly mashed ricotta gives a smooth, creamy texture without lumps.
- Dusting the raspberries with flour and arranging them in two layers helps prevent them from sinking.
- A moderate amount of sugar and some lemon balance the sweetness, so the dessert isn’t cloying.
Chef's tips
It’s best to drain the ricotta thoroughly and briefly mash it with a fork or blend it so the mixture is smooth and lump-free. The ingredients should be at room temperature – that way the cake rises evenly and doesn’t collapse after coming out of the oven. It’s worth dusting the raspberries with a little flour before adding them so they don’t sink all the way to the bottom.
How to serve
Serve slightly cooled, dusted with icing sugar or lemon zest, with an extra handful of fresh raspberries on the side. The cake pairs beautifully with strong stovetop coffee or lemon tea, especially on a lazy Sunday afternoon. It’s also a great bake to pack in a box for the allotment or a picnic – it travels well and doesn’t need refrigeration.
Watch out for
- Don’t mix the flour for too long – as soon as the dry streaks disappear, stop, otherwise the gluten will develop and the cake will be dense.
- Don’t open the oven for the first 25 minutes, or the centre may collapse and turn stodgy.
- Ricotta that’s too wet will thin the batter – if you see whey on the surface, be sure to pour it off and drain the cheese.
Substitutions
- You can replace the raspberries with blackberries, blueberries or a mix of wild berries.
- You can swap the lemon zest for orange zest if you prefer a milder, sweeter aroma.
- You can replace about 50 g of the wheat flour with ground almonds for a nutty flavour.
Ingredients
- ricotta well drained - 250 g
- flour type 450–550 - 200 g
- sugar - 150 g
- eggs at room temperature - 3 piece
- oil e.g. rapeseed - 80 ml
- baking powder - 2 teaspoons
- finely grated lemon zest only the yellow part - 1 teaspoon
- fresh or frozen raspberries - 150 g
- sugar for sprinkling, optional - 1 tablespoon
- pinch of salt
Preparation
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (top and bottom heat). Line a springform tin about 22 cm in diameter with baking paper or grease and dust with flour, including the sides, so you get a thin, even coating with no bare patches.
- If needed, drain the ricotta in a sieve, then transfer it to a bowl and mash with a fork until smooth and creamy, with no lumps. Set aside for a few minutes so it can release excess moisture and thicken slightly.
- In a large bowl, beat the eggs with the sugar and a pinch of salt with a mixer on high speed for 4–5 minutes, until the mixture becomes much paler, thickens and triples in volume. When you lift the beaters, it should fall back in a wide, fluffy ribbon.
- Reduce the mixer speed to medium and slowly pour in the oil in a thin stream, mixing constantly until the mixture is smooth, slightly glossy and there are no visible streaks of oil on the surface.
- Add the ricotta and lemon zest. Mix very briefly on low speed, just until combined; the mixture should stay clearly aerated and springy, not watery.
- Mix the flour with the baking powder. Add to the batter in 2–3 additions, gently folding with a spatula from the bottom up. Stop mixing as soon as the dry streaks disappear – the batter should be thick but slowly fall off the spatula.
- Dust the raspberries (fresh or frozen, not thawed) with a teaspoon of flour and gently shake the bowl so they’re coated in a thin layer. The fruit should look lightly “fogged”, not heavily caked.
- Pour half of the batter into the tin and smooth the surface. Arrange half of the raspberries on top, gently pressing them in so they’re partially submerged but don’t sink all the way to the bottom.
- Pour in the remaining batter and smooth the top. Arrange the remaining raspberries on the surface and press them down lightly. Place the tin in the oven and bake for 40–45 minutes, until the top is evenly golden and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out dry or with a few moist crumbs.
- Remove the cake from the oven and leave it in the tin for 10–15 minutes, until the centre sets and the sides pull slightly away from the tin. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely; the bottom should feel dry and just warm to the touch. Dust with icing sugar before serving.
Storage
Store the cooled cake in an airtight container in the fridge for 2–3 days. Bring slices to room temperature before serving, or warm them briefly in a low oven. Individual pieces can also be wrapped and frozen, then thawed at room temperature.
I usually bake this cake on Friday evening so that on Saturday morning there’s “something sweet” to go with coffee before anyone has a chance to go out for rolls. It has also saved more than one lonely tub of ricotta that had been sitting sadly in the fridge for days, begging to be used.
